Soviet Union Table of Contents
Intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) are nuclear weapons systems with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. They could be used in a theater operation either at the outset of hostilities or after nuclear escalation on the battlefield. INF arms control became a Soviet concern in the 1980s, when United States nuclear missiles were deployed in Western Europe to offset new Soviet INF deployments on Soviet territory. Although the 1987 IntermediateRange Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) led to the dismantling of the most threatening, longer-range INF missiles, capable of hitting Soviet territory, Soviet strategists viewed complete denuclearization of Europe as the most desirable end of INF arms control.
Data as of May 1989